Packing for reciprocating valve-stems



(No Model.)

D. E. SULLIVAN. PAOKING FOR REOIPROOATING VALVE STEMS.

No. 544,523. Patented Aug. 13,1895.

@3 %QZE STATES DANIEL E. "SULLIVAN, or

PATENT Enron.

GREEN'RIVER, WYOMING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 544,523, dated August 13, 1895.

Application filed April 13, 1895- To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL E. SULLIVAN, of Green River, in the county of Sweetwater and State of WVyoming, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Packing for Reciprocating Valve-Stems; and I do hereby declare the following to be a" full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in packing for reciprocating valve-stems, the objectbeing to provide durable packing that will travel with the valve-stem, and Whereb the stem is not worn, as heretofore.

With this object in View, and to the end of realizing certain other advantages hereinafter referred to, my invention consists in certain features of construction and combinations of parts hereinafter described, and point ed out in the claims. 1

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a central longitudinal section of a portion of a valve-chest, valve-stem, and packing for said stem. Fig. 2 is a transverse section on line 2 2, Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrow, portions being broken away to more clearly show certain features of construction.

. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on line 3 3, Fig.

1, looking in the direction of the arrow, portions being broken away to more clearly show the construction. Fig. 4 is a side elevation of one of the retaining rings or annular wedges K.

Referring to the drawings, A designates a valve-chest. B represents the stem of the valve (not shown) that operates within said chest. A bushing O embraces the valve-stem where the latter passes through the end of the valvechest, said bushing fitting into the correspondingly-shaped hole in the chest, said hole being preferably reduced in size at its inner end to form a seat a for the bushing and the bushing being correspondingly reduced in diameter at its inner end to fit into the reduced portion of the aforesaid hole in the chest. The valve-stem extends through end is fitted to the adjacent end of the valvechest, and preferably overlaps the outer end Serial No. 545,653. (No model) of bushing O, as at d, whereby outward displacement of said bushing is positively prevented. Oase or shell D is secured to the valve-chest in any approved manner, and preferably by bolts or studs E, extending longitudinally through said case or shell into the valve-chest, and nuts e, mounted upon said bolts at the outer end of case D. that is preferably composed of copper, is interposed between the inner end of case D'and the valve-chest.

The valve-stem packing is movable with the valve-stem, as already indicated, and coinprises a bull-ring H, that embraces the valvestem, and is preferably composed of cast-iron.

A gasket G,

Ring H is provided with any suitable number of external annular grooves or recesses h, each whereof is shown engaged by a snapring I, preferably made of cast-iron. The bull-ring, in the case illustrated, is shown provided with three grooves or recesses h and a corresponding number of snap-rings. The bull-ring fits nicely, but easily, within case D, and is capable of sliding freely endwise of said case. The bull-ring engages the valve-stem only at its inner end, and the surrounding wall of the bore therethrough is gradually enlarged from the valve-stem-engaging portion of said ring toward the outer extremity of the ring, as very clearly shown in Fig. 1. Any suitable number of retainingrings or annular wedges K, made preferably of brass, are interposed between'the valvestem and thetapering portion of the surrounding wall of the bore through the bullring, said retaining rings or wedges being adapted to frictionally engage the opposing surfaces of the valve-stem and ring H, and having an external taper corresponding with the taper of the surrounding wall of the bore through ring H. Rings or wedges K are cut or split, as at K in Fig. 3, to enable them to grip the valve-stem. By the construction hereinbefore described, the bull-rin g is firmly secured to the valve-stem upon applying the follower-nut L, that engages the externallythreaded outer reduced portion H of the bull-ring and has an annular shoulder L, adapted to engage the outer end of the outermost ring or Wedge K. Rings or wedges K are so arranged upon the valve-stem that the cuts or openings in the different rings shall ICO not come opposite or register with each other, whereby a steam-tight joint is formed between the valve-stem and bull-ring.

The snap-rings are applied by springing them over the bull-ring into the recesses designed to receive them, and said snap-rings are also so arranged,as shown very clearly in Fig. 2, that the openings 1 therein shall not come opposite or register with each other. By screwing up the follower-nut when the latter has been brought into engagement with the outer retaining ring or wedge frictional engagement between the opposing surfaces of the bull-ring and retaining rings or wedges and between the latter and the valve-stem is established.

The follower-nut at its outer end is preferablyprovided with holes L located a suitable distance apart and adapted to receive a spanner-wrench employed in the manipulation of said nut.

The bull-ring at its inner end is preferably distance apart and adapted to be engaged by a wrench (not shown) employed for the purpose of holding the bull-ring stationary while the follower-nut is being screwed up or applied. It will therefore be observed that by my invention snap-ring packing can be used on valve-stems, the packing travels with the valve-stem, there is no wear on the stem, the

snap-rings and retaining rings or Wedges employed make steam-tight joints, and the construction generally is simple, durable, and not liable to get out of order.

hat I claim is'- 1. The combination with the valve-chest and stem of valve operating within said chest,

bushing embracing the stem where the latter.

extends into the chest and the latter being bored to receive the bushing, of a cylindrical shell or case surrounding the stem at the outer end of said bushing, said shell or case being rigid with the chest and overlapping the end of the aforesaid bushing, and packing interposed between the valve-stem, and the aforesaid shell or case and movable with the valvestem, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the valve-chest and stem of valve that operates within said chest, bushing embracing the stem where the latter extends into the chest, and the chest being bored'to receive said bushing, of a cylindrical case or shell surrounding the stem at the outer end of said bushing, a gasket interposed between the inner end of said shell or case and the chest, said shell or case being rigid with the chest and overlapping the outer end of the aforesaid bushing, and packinginterposed between said shell or case and the valve-stem movable with the valve-stem, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the valve-chest and stem of the valve operating within said chest, of a cylindrical case or shell surrounding the stem and rigid with the chest, and packing interposed between said shell or case and the stem and movable with the stem, said packing comprising a bull-ring mounted upon the valve-stem and having a bore there through gradually enlarged toward the outer end of the ring and provided with any suitable number of external annular grooves or recesses, snap-rings engaging said grooves or recesses and engaging the aforesaid shell or case internally, retaining-rings or wedges interposed between the valve-stem and surrounding wall of the tapering-bore through the bull-ring, said retaining-rings or wedges being cut or split substantially as indicated, and suitable means for effecting frictional engagement between the retaining rings or wedges and valve-stern and between said rings or wedges and the embracing bull-ring, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the valve-chest and stem of the valve operating within said chest, of a cylindrical case or shell surrounding the stem and rigid with the chest, packing interposed between said shell or case and the stem and movable with the stem, said packing comprising a bull-ring I-I mounted upon the valve-stem and having a bore therethrough gradually enlarged toward the outer endof the ring and provided with any suitable number 5 of external annular grooves or recesses 71., the outer portion of said ring being reduced in diameter and screw-threaded externally, snaprings I engaging said grooves or recesses and engaging the aforesaid shell or case intern ally, retaining-rings or annular wedges K split or cut, as at K, and the nut L, all arranged and operating substantially as shown, for the purpose specified.

In testimony whereof I sign this specification, in the presence of two witnesses, this 1st day of February, 1895.

DANIEL E. SULLIVAN. Witnesses:

P. H. STACK, W. E. WHITE.

too 

